Smoky Cauliflower and White Bean Dip: Creamy and Delicious!

This morning, as I set out to roast some butternut squash (for another recipe), I noticed that I had a head of cauliflower I’d purchased and promptly forgotten about this week. My bad; I almost never neglect my vegetables that way! Repentant, I quickly retrieved my cauliflower from the fridge and pondered what in the heck to do with it. After remembering that I had cannellini beans in the pantry, and also remembering that smoked paprika makes everything taste better, I settled upon a white bean, cauliflower and smoked paprika dip.

Boy, am I glad I did. This dip is a little more time intensive than, say, hummus made with canned beans, because you have to roast the cauliflower in smoked paprika first. But it’s oh-so-worth-it. The taste is rich and vibrant, and it brings the cauliflower and white beans (which can otherwise taste a little bland) to life. It’s also bursting with protein from the beans, as well as vitamins C and K from the cauliflower. With a little lemon and a drizzle of avocado oil (and some garlic, if you’re into that), it’s a creamy and delicious treat!

1) Place cauliflower on a foil lined baking sheet and preheat oven to 375. Give cauliflower a spray of coconut oil, and sprinkle with 1 and a half tsps smoked paprika (it’s powerful, so you can use more if you want, but start with this amount). I sprinkled with my fingertips so that it would all be even.

2) Roast cauliflower for about 30 minutes, or until golden.

3) Transfer cauliflower to a food processor or Vitamix. Add beans, lemon, garlic, salt, and water, and process till smooth, adding more water as needed.

4) With motor of machine running, drizzle in your avocado oil. Two teaspoons was perfect for me to achieve the smooth, creamy effect I wanted. If you prefer to omit the oil, you can.

5) Serve with a sprinkling of paprika and some of your favorite dippers: veggies, crackers, or bread! I used raw hemp and parsley crackers, straight from my dehydrator (no recipe, but next time I’ll write it down).

I like my hummus incredibly smooth; I prefer this dip to have just the slightest bit of texture. If you want it super smooth and creamy, you should use a Vitamix instead of a food processor.

Just look at that perfectly smoky, creamy, and fluffy dip! I think the cauliflower helps to keep the texture relatively “light”—a nice alternative to thicker nut cheeses and bean spreads.

Hope you get to try this winning dip soon! Note that I mention coconut oil, above: this is my go to oil for high temperature roasting. I am a huge fan of spray oils and/or misters, because they allow me to add enough oil to coat vegetables and roast them nicely without drenching them indiscriminately! I use the Spectrum Organic brand, which looks like this:

This is the first nut cheese I have attempted and it was amazing! I put it on romaine leaves with cucumber, green peppers, and sunflower seeds. It was the best lunch ever! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is leaving behind real dairy. Thank you so much for such an easy cheese that tastes amazing!

This comment reminded me of the power of good food. A single recipe can be the difference between someone exploring a vegan diet, or not. When people say that they don’t think they could “live without cheese,” they are expressing a sincere fear, and it’s so important for all of us food bloggers to embrace “food as activism” and keep providing our readers with alternatives to their cherished favorites. I am so lucky to be a part of a community of men and women who are busy helping others to explore humane and delicious lifestyles!

share

Don't miss a post

I totally agree with you. Winning people over with delicious vegan food is our best bet! So many of us became vegans for health/dietary reasons, and only after living that way for a while became activists. Turn people through their stomachs, is what I always say!

The best and easiest way to get people excited about veganism to get them excited about food. As you know, after that, often their morals catch up to their taste buds and it’s animal welfare that locks them down to this wonderful lifestyle. Kudos Gena, for being such an inspiration.

I used to buy that Spectrum coconut oil spray all the time and I kind of forgot about it until recently and you just reminded me to pick some up. I have soooo much coocnut oil in jars, but the spray is a nice treat to have around.

Great win with the walnut cheese! But smoked paprika and cauliflower always get my attention. Also reminded me–I was living on beans a few months ago, and haven’t cooked up any for about two months or so… Par for the course, but this was a good reminder of how lovely they can be. Green crackers look so cute with the dip also.

Ooh I’ve never seen that coconut oil spray. That’s a good find. I don’t want to use icky PAM type spray, but sometimes regular coconut oil is too solid and hard to administer. You end up with too much or too little

HI, Gena — You are the BEST when it comes to the novel and tasty recipes!! I’m grateful every day for all your contributions, delightful dialogue an awesome photos! Take good care of yourself with a time out!

Hi, Gena – just made this and enjoyed it with my green juice pulp/flax crackers. Tasty, creamy and satisfying! I roasted a sweet onion along with the cauliflower, and roasted one large garlic clove to tame its fire. Both added a subtle sweetness. Thanks for the recipe!

Hi,
I had a bunch of friends over last night for the grammys and served them all vegan dishes, including this fab dip to kick it off, to many raves! I roasted 6 cloves of garlic along w/the cauliflower and it added a nice flavor.